John Friend, Anusara and what a Real Yogi looks like

Posted by C. Jane Taylor in cjt, Yoga | Comments Off on John Friend, Anusara and what a Real Yogi looks like

The yoga circuit is abuzz with the recent shake up of Anusara yoga, formerly “one of the most highly respected and fastest growing schools of hatha yoga in North America with an expanding presence in the UK, Europe, Japan, and Australia.” (source http://www.anusara.com). John Friend’s acts of ethical, psychological, sexual, spiritual and pedagogical impropriety have turned a great yoga system on its head. And Anusara Certified and Anusara-Inspired teachers across the country are pulling their hair out and losing their grip on a wonderful, life-changing yoga practice.

I’ll admit, the last melodramatic and highly polished apology from John Friend published the other day in Elephant Journal put me over the edge. I’ve had enough. I was reminded of my days of political action when I demonstrated and marched in DC, chanting ‘This is what democracy looks like.’

Well, this is what a yogi looks like: Albert Einstein. I read a post about him this morning that made me think about what yoga really means. And this afternoon I marched around my community and my mat and smiled. This is what a Real Yogi looks like!

Take a look for yourself; then take a look at yourself. Chances are good you’ll see a real yogi right there in the mirror. It might take a bit of unveiling, but that yogi is there.

The tantric philosophy upon which Anusara yoga is predicated advocates that the practice of yoga unveils the divine that already exists within each of us. It’s high time for Anusara to lose the John Friend veil.